Contributors

Illustrator Sanah Z. Shan was born and raised in the United Kingdom and studied at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. Life brought her to Istanbul, Turkey, where she spent three years as an English teacher specializing in the Montessori method. She currently lives in Burnley, England with her family. Sanah has an adventurous spirit and a passion for the arts and illustration and says, “It was a pleasure to be a part of Journey Beyond the Great Tree.”

Calligrapher Muhammad Elmarouk was born and raised in the Bay Area of California. Moving overseas at the age of 14, Muhammad lived for two years in Mauritania, where he memorized the Quran, and then relocated to Amman, Jordan, where he studied the traditional scripts of calligraphy under the Iraqi master Muthanna al-Obaydi, focusing on the scripts of thuluth and naskh.

Book Cover Designer Mukhtar Sanders is a graphic designer with over twenty years’ experience in the industry. He gained wide-ranging experience working for agencies and influential designers before co-founding Inspiral Design.

Writer Adnan Ashraf first wrote children’s fiction for his friends’ amusement when he was a child, and — as an adult — he started writing for children again when he had his own to take care of.

Writer Shaykh Hatim Yousef, PhD., is recognized as a hafidh of the Quran who has studied tajweed, aqeeda, fiqh, and spirituality with traditional scholars in the UAE and Jordan. He has also studied English literature and is blessed with the ability to communicate sacred knowledge with clarity to English speakers. He has worked as an imam and teacher at the ADAMS center in Sterling, Virginia. A fluent user of educational technology, Shaykh Hatim has also taught core Quranic vocabulary online. Through community engagement, he has shown how love and empathy can develop a student’s confidence and drive. For Safa’s Palette, Shaykh Hatim took the meanings of the names of Allah from his study of tafsir, Arabic and Imam Ghazali’s book on divine names. He currently resides with his family in Virginia, where he is the executive director of the faculty of Pearls Academy.

Illustrator Sanah Z. Shan was born and raised in the United Kingdom and studied English Language and Literature at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. Life took her to Istanbul, Turkey, where she spent three years as an English teacher specializing in the Montessori method. She currently lives in Burnley, England with her family. Her contributions to Journey Beyond the Great Tree and Safa’s Palette embody her love for the creative arts and for guiding young minds to achieve their best. 

Calligrapher Usman Ghani is based in Gujranwala, Pakistan. He obtained his Certificate in Calligraphy from the National College of Arts in Lahore and then practiced and worked as a calligrapher for many years, winning national competitions with his calligraphy in thuluth and nastalīq script. In recent years, Ustadh Usman has taught calligraphy at a well-established Lahore institution. He teaches adults and children privately as well. Safa’s Palette is the first book to feature his work.